NGE: Return
by Rokangus
Summary: Alternate Timeline Fic. Chapter Four is up at last. Please read and review, and let me know how I am doing with this.
1. That Which Once Was lost

NGE: Return – That which was lost has returned.  
  
By: Rokangus  
  
Warning: Be forewarned, this is my first Eva fic ever, and on top of that I've only seen the Evangelion series and EoE once. But having seen it, this idea appeared in my head, and the only way to get rid of it was to start writing it down. Regardless, as the summary suggests, this is an alternate timeline version of the series, so if there's something wrong with the continuity, I probably meant it to be that way.  
  
Now, however, to the big warning. When I first started writing this, I was really excited because I thought it was a great idea. Then, trying to test the waters, I started to read some of the other Eva fics around to see if my idea had been used before. And when I did, I made two startling discoveries: a lot of people really don't like stories with new characters, and they REALLY don't like new characters who pilot Unit-04. This fic pretty much revolves around a new character who pilots Unit-04  
  
: (  
  
So I went back and revised things trying to make my new character as un- Mary-Sue-esque as I could. However, seeing as this is my first fic, I probably will fail on this count. However I'm doing this partly for myself, so I'm posting this prologue just to see what kind of feedback I get. However I'd be lying if I said I don't care what you say. If all the replies I get say they hate this, I'll just drop it and go crawl in a hole to die. But if it turns out people do like it, I'll continue.  
  
And now for the Disclaimer: I don't own Eva. Anno and Gainax do. Please don't sue this poor college student.  
  
And now for the story…  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: That Which Once Was Lost  
  
  
  
(NERV Second Branch – Nevada Desert)  
  
The Second Branch of NERV was located deep underground, underneath a large dried out lakebed. In the middle of a God-forsaken wasteland, it was the perfect place for the American branch to conduct its top-secret tests and experiments away from public scrutiny. Much like its Japanese counterpart, Second Branch most certainly did not want to be known to the common public.  
  
In the control booth adjacent to the cage designated '327', an army colonel paced the small chamber impatiently, adding to the tension in the room occupied by a pair of technicians. Though technically the First and Second Branches shared a common goal to protect humanity from the Angels, the Americans could not help but feel a little envious of the largely successful First Branch. Needless to say, the American Branch desired very badly to catch up with the Japanese with their own Evangelions; Units 03 and 04.  
  
"Is the pilot in position yet?" the colonel barked hoarsely to one of the technicians. He was a slightly heavy-set man with a squarish face that was partially obscured by the camo hat pulled low over his eyes.  
  
The female technician answered, "The pilot is reported to have suited up and will be inside the entry plug in a few moments."  
  
"About damn time," the colonel replied, his tone less severe. He approached the windows to look out at the subject of today's test; Eva Unit-04.  
  
'Ugly damn critter,' the colonel thought to himself as he stared at the gray-colored machine standing within the cage. It was hard for the man to accept that the huge monstrosity could be the hope of mankind, but his job was to follow orders not ponder the cosmos. Let the scientists explore the gravity of the situation; the colonel's only concern was that the tests worked. According to his orders, the Eva had been outfitted with a new generator of some sort; what had the scientists called it…X2 engine…S3 organ? Shaking his head sadly, the colonel waited until the figure of the pilot appeared near the entrance plank connected to the entry plug. The colonel noted with some approval that the blondish haired lad didn't waste any time climbing into the entry plug and sealing it off.  
  
"Is the pilot ready to begin the testing?" the colonel accosted the technicians once more. This time the male technician answered.  
  
"I'll find out right away, colonel." The technician opened up a communication channel to the entry plug and said, "Pilot, are you ready to begin today's tests?"  
  
The youth's adolescent's voice came through loudly, yet with a slight waiver in it. "I'm ready. Awaiting my orders, sir."  
  
The colonel nodded, "Begin the synchronization. We've wasted enough time already."  
  
"Aye, colonel," the female technician answered, while the two began to operate the controls at a furious pace. Within the cage, the entry plug was drawn within Unit-04, and the surrounding armor closed up in its place. While the technicians kept their eyes glued to the readouts and various energy levels, the colonel kept his stony gaze locked on the Eva in front of him.  
  
As the readouts continued to climb, the male technician's attention was drawn to an anomalous reading coming from the Eva. At first the technician doubted the information his eyes were gathering, but then reality finally sunk in, as his jaw dropped open.  
  
"Uh…colonel? I'm getting an unusual fluctuation coming from the S2 engine…"  
  
Annoyed with the interruption, the colonel stomped over to the technician's terminal. "What are you babbling about, Jenkins? Is there a problem?"  
  
"I'm not sure…Ms. Adams will you take a look at this?" the technician named Jenkins said running a nervous hand over his balding head, "I've never seen anything like this before…"  
  
However, before the other technician could render her own opinion, there was a resounding crash, followed by the blare of klaxons and alarms. Looking up from their displays, the colonel and two technicians watched in horror as Unit-04 thrashed wildly at it's restraints like a wild beast. And above all of this, the scream of the young pilot could be heard, like the tortured wail of a ghost.  
  
"Shut the damn thing down!" the colonel roared over the incredible noise, "Stop it before it brings the entire facility down around us!"  
  
"I can't!" screamed Adams, the female technician, "Unit-04 has gone berserk, it's rejecting all commands!"  
  
Meanwhile, Jenkins stared dumbly at his readouts, "The readings on the S2 engine are off the charts! If it isn't shut down soon, it'll…"  
  
The technician never had a chance to finish his warning. Suddenly the chamber was filled with blinding light as whatever catastrophe Jenkins had been warning about came true. Outside the facility, the explosion of light breached through the surface of the dry lake in a terrific explosion that spread outwards in all directions. When the light disappeared, all that was left of Second Branch was a massive crater in the Nevada desert.  
  
Silence was complete for all of ten seconds. Then in the center of the crater a second, smaller explosion of light flashed. When it disappeared, Unit-04 landed with a loud crash on the ruined surface of the crater. But rather than the brightly shining machine it had been only a handful of seconds before, the Eva was now tarnished and battered; it's arms hung loosely at it's sides, and several hunks of armor were missing. The thing might have appeared to be dead, save for the furious red light that poured out of its eyes.  
  
The ghastly apparition took a halting step forward, as if greatly exhausted before collapsing face first into the dirt, and the red light vanished from the eyes as if it was never there.  
  
***  
  
(NERV Headquarters – Tokyo-3)  
  
Sub-commander Kouzou Fuyutsuki stood just behind and to the side of his superior, Commander Ikari on a moving walkway within the Geo-front. While both men wore a face of cool calmness, Fuyutsuki's voice betrayed his internal apprehension.  
  
"Second Branch destroyed? Completely? This is a grave blow…"  
  
"It is of no consequence," Gendo interrupted, "It effects neither SEELE's scenario, nor our own."  
  
"Has the American government announced what the cause of this horrible accident was?" Fuyutsuki asked.  
  
"Of course not, but it is clear to see that it was their own stupidity," Gendo replied coldly, "They were testing Unit-04 with the S2 organ recovered from the fourth angel when something went wrong. The entire Second Branch then disappeared with all hands without a trace."  
  
"My God," Fuyutsuki murmured, "All those people gone…all the equipment and research…Units 03 and 04…"  
  
"Do not worry about the Evas, Sub-commander, the American Units are being delivered into our custody as soon as the shipment arrives from the American continent," Gendo informed his surprised friend.  
  
Bewildered, Fuyutsuki asked, "But…how?"  
  
"Unit-03 was stored off site during the incident, so it came to no harm. With Second Branch obliterated, the UN decided to entrust it to Third Branch, also here in Japan," Gendo replied evenly.  
  
Kouzou saw the wisdom of this. Rather than put First branch at risk, the American Eva would stay at the site in Matsushiro, in case of an accident. Fuyutsuki had regained his composure by now and asked, "So this means we must select the Fourth Child?"  
  
"It has already been done," Gendo said, surprising the Sub-commander once more, "As soon as Unit-03 is within our custody, the Fourth will begin his training." With that Gendo handed a dossier with the Fourth Child's information to Fuyutsuki.  
  
Fuyutsuki finished reading the information as the two commanders stepped off the moving walkway. Then as they continued to walk onwards towards the Commander's office, another thought occurred to Kouzou.  
  
"You said Evas…you don't mean to say…"  
  
"That Unit-04 was also recovered?" Gendo asked, giving Fuyutsuki a sidelong glance, "It was recovered, although with some rather extensive damage. The pilot was also recovered alive…though with complications."  
  
"Complications? What do you mean?"  
  
Commander Ikari handed Kouzou a second dossier, letting the contents within speak for themselves. The Sub-commander was silent for several seconds, overwhelmed by the implications of the reports. "He and Unit –04 are also being given over to us?"  
  
Gendo nodded. "He will be arriving at the Geo-front in a matter of hours. I meant to ask you sooner, but I would like you to see the American pilot in order to ascertain his ability to pilot Eva."  
  
"I see…" Fuyutsuki replied, uncertain as to whether or not he wanted to interview the sole survivor of the Second Branch. Then an odd smile crossed Kouzou's face as an equally odd thought crossed his mind. "You said the Fourth child was already selected?"  
  
"Yes…why?"  
  
"Technically wouldn't this American child be the Fourth?" Fuyutsuki asked, "After all, he was selected before we selected a pilot for Unit-03."  
  
Gendo snorted derisively, "Save the semantics debate for later, Sub- commander. Our priority is to bring Unit-03 on line as soon as possible in order to combat the Angels. If Unit-04's pilot is salvageable, all the better, but if not, then he can be replaced."  
  
"And besides," Commander Ikari added, "When you meet the American, you may find the title 'Fourth Child' something of a misnomer…"  
  
***  
  
Late at night, after the American equipment had arrived successfully, Fuyutsuki found himself deep within the Geo-front, down in the dark hallways that NERV intelligence used to detain everyone from criminals to any individual unlucky enough to wander into the Geo-Front without proper authorization.  
  
However, the person Kouzou was supposed to see wasn't really either of those things; just an unknown factor.  
  
Looking at the dossier once more as he walked down the dim halls to the prisoner's cell, Fuyutsuki read up the basic information on the American child. One Jordan Reynolds, age 15, born in Michigan, yet grew up in Nevada.  
  
'Quite a change,' Fuyutsuki thought to himself. He continued to read on: light brown hair, bordering on blond, green eyes, medium height and build. Fuyutsuki was surprised that the dossier didn't give exact measurements but shrugged it off as the usual American inefficiency.  
  
Reaching the door of the cell, Kouzou motioned for the guard to unlock it for him. With that done, Sub-commander Fuyutsuki stepped inside the cell and got his first look of the American pilot. And nearly did a double take in surprise!  
  
Alarmed, Fuyutsuki looked back at the pilot's dossier. It read age fifteen, just as it had before. Looking back at the figure hunched over in the chair, Kouzou saw that his eyes had not been deceiving him. The pilot was facing away from him, with his hands cuffed together and bound to the metal chair preventing the American from standing. He was slouched over as if from great fatigue, but it was evident from the shape of the broad shoulders to the long wisps of dark blond hair that this was no fifteen year-old child. The man seated before him could be no younger than in his mid-twenties at least. Now Fuyutsuki understood why the physical information had been so sketchy, it was surely useless now. And he further understood Gendo's cryptic words earlier.  
  
When you meet the American, you may find the title 'Fourth Child' something of a misnomer.  
  
While Fuyutsuki struggled to find his voice, the American became aware of the open door and the new source of light. He lifted his head up and Kouzou became aware of the long strands of facial hair that hung off the man's face like tangled vines.  
  
"Go 'way," the man whispered in slurred English "I don't feel like talkin' now."  
  
"Are you Jordan Reynolds?" Fuyutsuki asked in Japanese, not catching the American's comment, which had been spoken at barely a whisper.  
  
The American tensed at the sound of Fuyutsuki's voice. "I can't understand a word you're saying, mister," the man said in an irritated tone, "I don't understand Japanese."  
  
Fuyutsuki chided himself. Of course the arrogant Americans would never try to teach their young to learn any other useful foreign languages. They just expected everyone else to learn English. Fortunately, English was one of the few languages Kouzou had learned as a Professor earlier in his life. Kouzou asked again, this time in English.  
  
"Forgive me. I asked if you were Jordan Reynolds, pilot of Unit-04."  
  
The man sighed in what must have been great relief, despite Fuyutsuki's thick accent. "At last, someone I can understand…yes, I'm Jordan Reynolds. Why do you want to know?"  
  
"Are you aware of the events surrounding your present situation?" Fuyutsuki countered with a question of his own.  
  
Jordan turned his head giving Fuyutsuki a view of one of his green eyes through the strands of unkempt hair; the unbridled intensity of the gaze caused Kouzou's breath to catch in his throat. In the chair, Jordan let out a wheezing chuckle.  
  
"If by that you mean that my 'situation' is pretty fucked up, then yes, I am aware," Jordan replied.  
  
"Then you must know why you are being kept here?"  
  
Jordan looked away. "Because you never know." The Eva pilot then began to laugh in a self-depreciatory manner.  
  
Catching Jordan's meaning, Fuyutsuki frowned. "That is one way to put it, I suppose. In any case, I am NERV Sub-commander Kouzou Fuyutsuki. And despite what you may think, I am here to see if we can get you and Unit-04 back into action as soon as possible."  
  
"How is Unit-04?" Jordan asked suddenly, his interest suddenly soaring.  
  
"Your Eva? I don't understand…"  
  
"Sub-commander, that Eva is solely responsible for why I am even here right now," Jordan said with bristling intensity, "So it shouldn't be too much to understand that I have a bit of an attachment for it, okay?"  
  
"Unit-04 is currently under repairs, Pilot Reynolds. Rest assured once we have run the proper tests to make sure you are still capable of piloting your Eva, you will be placed back in active duty."  
  
Jordan let his head hang again. "Run all the tests ya like. Just let me know if you're going to use me or not…"  
  
Fuyutsuki nodded; without saying anything further he left the cell as the guard closed and locked it once more. Reaching for a phone, the Sub- commander dialed a number and waited for an answer. When someone picked up on the other line, he began to speak.  
  
"Tell Dr. Akagi that the…American is ready for her when she is…no, that is all. Good day."  
  
Turning to leave, Fuyutsuki struggled to make sense of the many mysteries that he had suddenly become privy to. 'The Hell this doesn't concern us, Gendo,' Fuyutsuki thought to himself as he left the brig, 'There is more at work here than we realize. I only hope that Dr. Akagi can make more sense of it than I can.'  
  
***  
  
Inside the cell, Jordan was alone with his thoughts once more. He was glad the Sub-commander had kept this meeting short. There were too many things he just didn't want to divulge yet. And the pain of too many burdens still rested on him.  
  
'My country discarded me like a bag of vomit because they couldn't explain me. And that scared the shit out of them. So they dump me with these poor bastards. But will these people discard me too? Throw me away like I have been my whole life?'  
  
Letting his chin sink down to his chest, Jordan let the tears flow, as they had far too many times in the recent past.  
  
  
  
***  
  
Well there it is. Please, please, please, post feedback. Even if you didn't like it, tell me how I can make it batter. Like I said, I want people to enjoy this, so please be honest. If characters didn't seem right, tell me. If I omitted something big that needs to be there, tell me, and I'll try to work my story around it.  
  
Obviously there are a lot of crazy things going on, but don't worry, these mysteries will come to light in due time, just as they do in the Eva series. Sorry also for lack of mention of any of the other children, but don't worry they'll be there, and much the same as in the series. My plan was to keep this on as similar a timeline to the original series with the exception of the return of Unit-04. That in and of itself will change the turn of events, but not too drastically at first. Thanks again for any and all feedback! 


	2. Standing By

Author Blurb: Okay, well it seems that this fic isn't too horrifying a travesty, so I'm going to continue with the second chapter. This is going to be the real test as to whether or not I continue on or just remove this thing altogether. As I said before, please feel free to comment and criticize. Let me know what you like, what you hate, and what you think I could do better. And remember the more specific your criticisms are, the more likely I'll be able to fix them. ^_~  
  
And as before, I do not claim Neon Genesis Evangelion as my own, it still belongs to Anno and Gainax. I do not plan to sell this ever so there's no problem there.  
  
With regards to some of the past comments I made some edits to this chapter to accompany those. I threw in a scene with some of the children, so please tell me how that worked as far as characterization and such. I'm also trying to keep my ACC as mortal as possible, so let me know how I did on that count to.  
  
With that, please enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 2: Standing By  
  
  
  
(Inside a NERV Lab…)  
  
Chewing on a pen absent-mindedly, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi reviewed the test results she had conducted on the American pilot. There was nothing wrong with him, per se, aside from his poor hygiene and pallid complexion. However, it didn't take a physical examination to tell that the young man certainly wasn't at right.  
  
Jordan Reynolds; though he had only lived on earth for 15 years, had the physical body consistent with a 25 year-old. And though he was in marginally good shape, it was a discrepancy too great to ignore.  
  
Add to all that the fact that Mr. Reynolds had all the mental signs of severe depression and paranoia, he could be a possible psychotic in the making.  
  
'And those eyes' Ritsuko thought, stealing a glance at the slouched figure sitting on a stool in the corner. The haunted green eyes were focused on the floor now, Ritsuko noted thankfully. Jordan had also been given an opportunity to shave, so the long streaks of hair which once covered most of his face were now replaced with a clean-shaven face, and neatly trimmed hair that was short on the sides and back, yet still somewhat long on top. However, with his face now revealed, Ritsuko noted that the American had a new degree of ugliness to him. His complexion was pale as if he hadn't seen the sun in a long time, and his skin seemed sunken and malnourished.  
  
Ritsuko sighed loudly. In a few hours she was due at Matsushiro for Unit- 03's activation; yet one more thing she was responsible for. The last thing she wanted to do was play therapist for the American, but Commander Ikari wanted solid answers; the kind of answers she would only get by talking to the pilot.  
  
Pulling her chair over to where the young man sat, Ritsuko activated the translation program on her laptop. Though she couldn't speak English herself, her computer had a useful algorithm that made up for that deficiency.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Ritsuko asked in broken English.  
  
Jordan continued to stare at the floor. "How do you think I feel?" He asked with minimal emotion, "I feel like shit. Are you sending me back to my cubby hole now?"  
  
Ritsuko waited for translation to come up on her laptop. "Not yet, mister Reynolds. I need you to cooperate with me and answer a few questions. Can you do that for me?"  
  
Snorting, Jordan replied, "Yeah, whatever."  
  
Ritsuko did not need the translation to hear the attitude dripping off that comment. 'I do not have time for this childishness!' she raged in her mind, but instead she said, "Do you want to continue to pilot Eva?"  
  
Jordan looked up sharply. "What did you say?"  
  
"I think you heard me very well," Ritsuko challenged, "Do you or do you not want to pilot Eva?"  
  
Ritsuko flinched as Jordan's muscles tensed up, and his lips peeled back in a sneer. But before he confirmed the doctor's worst fear, he relaxed, and spoke in a low tone.  
  
"To be perfectly honest, Doctor, I wish I'd never heard of NERV or the Evas or Angels and could just crawl in a corner and die…"  
  
Ritsuko was about to comment when Jordan looked up and caught her eyes with his intense gaze.  
  
"Let me finish Doctor! As I was about to say, I've been through too much now. I want to see this through. I want to remain an Eva pilot."  
  
Ritsuko paused while waiting for the new translation. "Then listen carefully to me, Pilot Reynolds," Ritsuko said with equal forcefulness, "Do not think that you are at all special to us. You are expendable; that is the plain and honest truth. If you cannot cooperate like a normal human being, you will never pilot Eva again. As soon as I am finished with you here I am going to give my evaluation of you to Commander Ikari. If he does not deem you fit to pilot, you will not pilot. Am I making myself clear?"  
  
"Yes," Jordan mumbled, subdued.  
  
"Very well," Ritsuko replied, working to take the edge out of her voice. "Now, I need to know what happened when the accident occurred at Second Branch. Please be honest and tell me everything that occurred from the incident until you were recovered again."  
  
Jordan let his head droop down towards the floor. "It's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"  
  
Looking at her watch, Ritsuko replied, "I'll let you know when to stop. Is that all?"  
  
Sighing deeply, Jordan leaned back to let his head touch the wall. Then in a low monotone he began his story.  
  
***  
  
(At the Children's school in Tokyo-3…)  
  
Lunchtime at school found Shinji Ikari sitting at one of the outside benches, quietly eating the sandwich he had made earlier that morning. Deep in thought, he didn't see the other figure approach until the other child was right in front of him, slamming himself down across from Shinji with youthful exuberance.  
  
"Hey, Shinji!" Kensuke chimed with a grin, "Forget I was here? I thought you were going to wait for me?"  
  
"Oh, sorry," Shinji apologized, "I just had a lot on my mind."  
  
"Ah, gotcha," Kensuke replied, the offense already forgotten. The unruly haired youth wasted no time in voicing the real issue on his mind, "Say, you know why Toji never came to class today?"  
  
"No, I thought you might've known why," Shinji replied shaking his head sadly, "That was one of the things I was thinking about."  
  
Kensuke shrugged as he started to dig into his lunch. "I dunno, maybe he was visiting his sister at the hospital, like he does sometimes."  
  
"Maybe," Shinji agreed, trying to put the matter out of mind. However, the small peace of mind he attained was quickly shattered as a familiar voice split the afternoon air.  
  
"Well, well. I see two of the infamous stooges…but where is their third partner in crime," chided the voice of Asuka Langley Soryu. The red-haired girl stood in an imperious manner with her hands planted firmly on her hips.  
  
Kensuke's mood immediately darkened while Shinji tensed up. "I take it back," Kensuke murmured, "I think Toji must've been eaten on the way to school by the She-Demon."  
  
"Shut up, baka!" Asuka bit out, "Besides I'm here to talk to Shinji…privately. About pilot stuff."  
  
"If you're talking about the new Eva, I already know. I overheard my dad talking about it last night," Kensuke said waving Asuka off, then turning back to Shinji he said with renewed intensity, "That reminds me, Shinji, can you do a favor for me?"  
  
"What?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Hey!" Asuka shouted, upset that the two had ignored her, "I thought I was the one doing the talking here?!"  
  
Kensuke ignored her, making his plea to Shinji, "Can you please, please, please, ask your guardian, Major Katsuragi, if I can be the new pilot? Please, Shinji, it's what I always dreamed of doing!"  
  
"What!? You? An Eva pilot?" Asuka asked hardly believing her ears. This was just too good. "What makes you think they'll ever make a stupid baka like you a Pilot?"  
  
Shinji watched as his friend's face went a bright red. Hoping to change the subject, he asked, "W-what was it you wanted to talk about Asuka?"  
  
"Well, though nerd-boy here was right about the Eva, I wanted to talk more about reality than fantasy," Asuka said leaning one hand on the table top.  
  
"What d'you mean?" Shinji asked trying to ignore Kensuke's discomfort.  
  
"Well for one thing, there's two new Evas, not just one. So that means there's gonna be two new pilots."  
  
"Two!?" Kensuke exploded, "How do you know that? I never heard anything about two!"  
  
Asuka put on a confident and self-assured grin. "It's not easy being so intelligent and perceptive as I, but I have my way of knowing these things…"  
  
"She probably overheard Misato say something about it last night," Shinji mumbled under his breath.  
  
"What did you say!?!" Asuka snarled, grabbing Shinji by the collar of his shirt. Shinji quailed under the redhead's fiery ire.  
  
"N-n-n-n-nothing!" Shinji stammered, "I said nothing!"  
  
"Dummkopf!" shouted Asuka as she released him roughly, "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, if two new Evas are here, then they probably already have pilots assigned to them. Sorry Kensuke, it looks like your dreams of being a Pilot will have to wait." Asuka snickered at the last comment.  
  
"What's your point?" Kensuke growled in response.  
  
"My point," Asuka said as she whirled around to face Shinji, "is that you and I need to make sure to keep these rookie pilots in their place. Being new they'll probably think they're hot shit. Therefore, as veteran pilots, it'll be our responsibility to keep them in line. I have to count on you, 'cause God knows that doll, Rei, won't be of any help."  
  
Shinji cringed at Asuka's implications. As Shinji's memory served, it had been Asuka who had tried to put him in his place when she had first arrived. The boy could only imagine what the second child had in store for the two new pilots.  
  
"Where do you think they are from?" Shinji asked once more trying to change the subject.  
  
"What the Hell kind of question is that?" Asuka asked, "Who cares where they're from?" Then after a moment of reflection she added, "Though I hope they've sent female pilots. I think I'm living proof that girls make the best pilots. Well so long, stooges, I grow tired of your presence. And remember what I said, Shinji!"  
  
The two boys watched as the second child flounced off. Shinji looked as startled and confused as ever, while Kensuke simmered angrily. Finally the two put the strange confrontation out of their minds and focused on eating again.  
  
"Man, I wish Toji was here. He would have given the She-Demon something to think about," Kensuke murmured between mouthfuls.  
  
Shinji stared at his food while his internal thoughts raged inside him. Sighing he simply said, "Yeah."  
  
***  
  
(NERV Headquarters, Commanders Office…)  
  
Later, Dr. Akagi stood in front of the NERV commander, who was seated behind his desk in his customary pose of speculation and contemplation.  
  
"What have you learned Doctor," Gendo said with slight impatience, "What is the American's status?"  
  
"Pilot Reynolds…is a bizarre case to be certain," Ritsuko began, "Though he was a normal fifteen year-old before the Second Branch incident, he is -- for all intents and purposes – now a twenty-five year old adult."  
  
"My theory," she continued, "is that somehow, when Unit-04 was activated with the S2 engine, it created something similar to the Dirac Sea that was created by the Twelfth Angel. At the time of the incident, both Unit-04 and Second Branch were absorbed into this alternate dimension. By Pilot Reynolds' account, he spent approximately ten years in this alternate dimension before, by luck, he managed to escape back here."  
  
"But how is this possible?" Fuyutsuki asked suddenly, "Pilot Ikari was trapped in the Sea of Dirac with no adverse effects such as these."  
  
Ritsuko nodded patiently, "I know Sub-commander, but I said that this was only like a Dirac sea. It is only a theory, but I believe that time passed differently in this dimension, than in our own."  
  
Commander Ikari raised a hand to silence them both. "I did not ask for theories, Dr. Akagi. I wanted to know if the American was fit to pilot Eva."  
  
Taking a breath, Ritsuko continued, "It is my opinion that Pilot Reynolds is in no way fit to pilot an Eva. The mental problems caused by the Second Branch incident aside, his past records show much against his favor. According to the files the American government sent over, Reynolds was selected to be an Eva pilot only because he performed well at a military school for juvenile delinquents. The boy tried to strangle his mother to death. The only reason he wasn't put on trial for attempted murder was because the American authorities believed that child abuse was involved. Commander, I know none of our pilots have exactly sterling records, but this American is…"  
  
"I asked…" Commander Ikari said in slow measured tones, "Can he physically pilot an Eva?"  
  
Sighing in frustration, Ritsuko answered, "There's no reason to believe he cannot. According to his testimony he has been able to pilot during all of his past ten years."  
  
Gendo nodded, and appeared to think over the information. Then, standing up he clasped his hands behind his back and began to stare out the windows behind his desk. "Thank you for your effort and time, Doctor. Before you head over to Third Branch for Unit-03's activation, you are to inform Pilot Reynolds that that his status has been upgraded to temporary active duty. He is to be placed on stand-by, until I have decided whether or not to grant him full-privileges."  
  
Ritsuko blinked in surprise. Though it wasn't a drastic change to the American's situation; he was still a virtual prisoner to be confined within the Geofront, Ritsuko could hardly believe that the Commander wanted this pilot on stand-by to pilot an Eva! "Commander Ikari, I thought I made it clear that the pilot is in no mental condition to…"  
  
"That will be all Dr. Akagi," Gendo said dismissively, "I do believe you have an activation test to carry out, don't you?"  
  
Grinding her teeth in frustration, Ritsuko nodded once, and stalked out of the office, leaving the two NERV commanders alone. After several moments of silence, Fuyutsuki cleared his throat and spoke to his superior.  
  
"Dr. Akagi does make an excellent point," Kouzou noted in a quiet voice, "Do you think it is wise to put a young man such as this Reynolds at the controls of an Eva? The records given from the Americans indicated that his synch ratio wasn't all that impressive."  
  
Gendo continued to gaze out the window towards infinity as he answered. "I am aware of the risks. But at times like these it cannot hurt to be prepared."  
  
Fuyutsuki nodded knowingly, "You think an Angel will try to attack during Unit-03's activation? Like when the sixth attacked the convoy carrying the Second Child and her Eva?"  
  
Gendo nodded once.  
  
"What of Unit-04; is it ready?" Fuyutsuki asked.  
  
"Yes, and don't worry. I have already received word that the S2 engine has been removed," Commander Ikari said, placating his advisor's fears. "I am not eager to repeat the Second Branch accident. Until we can make sure that the S2 engine is reliable, Unit-04 will run on conventional power like the other Evas."  
  
"Though surely the three children we have right now can handle any Angel threat that might appear?"  
  
"Of course they can, "Gendo acknowledged, "But I always prepare for the unexpected, just in case. On top of that you must also take into account that if Dr. Akagi is correct, then this American is the most experienced Eva pilot we have. Though this alters the scenario, as a foreigner he can be easily eliminated if he proves a nuisance."  
  
"You think he can be controlled that easily?" Kouzou asked skeptically.  
  
Commander was silent for a handful of seconds before replying, "I do not claim to know fate, but so far I have been successful at guiding it to our needs."  
  
"Our needs, Gendo?" Fuyutsuki asked, "Or your needs?"  
  
To this, commander Ikari made no comment.  
  
***************************************************  
  
If I may be so bold as to predict some comments, I'd like to just try and explain myself.  
  
Two things struck me that might be a problem for some of you; the most notable being the fact that Jordan was in an alternate dimension for ten years. First of all, from an author's prospective, I needed something to make Jordan unique and special. I don't know how the rest of you feel about this, but a character that can't do anything or offer anything to the plot comes close to being as boring and annoying as an Uber-God character. I know ten years may seem like a long time, but like I had Gendo point out, having that kind of experience may be useful even if he doesn't have an incredible synch ratio. (Note: for the time being I'm given him a ratio of about 35%). Also, by making his age different from the other pilots, I hoped to avoid that whole problem with "relationships with original female characters (Asuka/Rei)" thing.  
  
From the story's perspective…I reasoned that Unit-04 had the S2 engine, so technically it should be able to run almost indefinitely. But if a lot of you out there think it's too incredible I'll edit it.  
  
The second problem may have been with Ritsuko's translating program. Well to that I can only say that I really didn't have much of a choice. To be more realistic, I have made it so that Jordan does not know Japanese. So that means I needed a way for Ritsuko to communicate with him, because I assumed she doesn't know English. If any of you have any suggestions as to how to do this better, I'd greatly appreciate it.  
  
Let's see, next chapter is going to have the battle with the Thirteenth Angel. So those of you who are waiting for the action, don't worry it's on its way. Thanks again for the feedback! 


	3. The Battle With the Thirteenth

Hey everybody. I'm finally back with chapter three of this lil' story of mine. But before I get into things it's time for another little author blurb.  
  
First I want to thank the two people who replied to the second chapter, Tsabo Tavoc and Drakkan. Thanks to the both of you for your kind words of encouragement, they really helped me pound this chapter out. You guys rule! I hope it lives up to your expectations! ^_^  
  
Now just to clear something up, since it has appeared twice, I do not in any way or fashion intend to bash America and Americans. I'm a proud citizen of the United States and love my country. However, from a literary perspective, I wanted to add some conflict, so the rather negative attitudes towards Americans are supposed to be the feelings of the particular characters, not my own views. However since a lot of you object I'm going to try and tone it back as much as I can in the future. Sorry again for any inconvenience.  
  
And finally before I get on with this, if you do read this, please reply; be it kind or otherwise. Please feel free to let me know how I am doing, and more importantly how I can improve. This is my first shot at an Eva fic, and though I'm getting ideas for other fics, I kind of want to use this one to get my style down before I try something new. So please enjoy this fic, and let me know what you think, mmkay? ^_~  
  
  
  
Chapter Three: Battle With the Thirteenth  
  
***  
  
(Somewhere within the Geofront…)  
  
Though he was not in the cell he had first been given, Jordan nevertheless felt imprisoned once more. Though he was several levels higher up in the Geofront, and in a room that actually had windows, there were two NERV security guards always present at the door, making sure that the American remained inside at all times.  
  
Resting his arms on the table in front of him, Jordan reviewed the recent events of the past hour or so. First he had been informed that he was restored to temporary pilot status. Though this news had given him a degree of relief, he soon found that his status had changed little. He may be considered a part of NERV again, but they still didn't trust him.  
  
Jordan leaned forward and rested his head on his arms, letting his eyes fall on the single piece of clothing that remained folded on the table next to him. It was a new plugsuit, designed to fit his new body-shape. Jordan remembered that when he had been found, his old suit had been reduced to little more than tattered rags that barely covered him. Through all of the disappointments he had faced since coming here to Japan, Jordan was slightly pleased to see that they had kept the old colors of his plugsuit; black on the shoulders and chest, with muted gray on the arms and leggings. It was nice to see something…familiar.  
  
Familiar; there was something else around he had found that was very familiar and he was sick of it. Jordan had never felt so alone and isolated in his life; and the fact that he couldn't talk to anyone only compounded the problem.  
  
'Dammit, why am I here?' Jordan asked himself as he balled a hand into a fist, 'I'm not even in control of my life any more. I've lost my Eva, my home…I'm just the proud owner of a plugsuit and a mind full of memories I never asked for in the first place.'  
  
But Jordan's thoughts were cut short as the relative silence was shattered by the blare and shriek of sirens. Alarmed, Jordan sat bolt upright, looking around for the cause of the sudden disturbance. Above the intense sound of the alarms, he could hear a voice speaking in Japanese, it's message lost on the young man who could only sit in confusion. Looking through the windows he could see that the guards were still there, but they definitely looked a lot tenser than they had before.  
  
Standing up from the table, Jordan tried to make some sense of the sudden activity. Alarms…could the headquarters be under some sort of attack? But who would have the guts to try and assault the most heavy defended fortress in the world? Then the answer hit him like a blow to the stomach; the Angels.  
  
Eager to find out the truth, Jordan grabbed his plugsuit and rushed to the door of the cell-like room. Knowing that it was locked from the outside, he began to pound on the door in order to get the guards attention.  
  
"Hey!" Jordan shouted in English, "Let me out of here. I'm a pilot, I need to report for duty!" Jordan held up his plugsuit by the window for emphasis.  
  
One of the guards looked confused and started to reach for the door handle, but his partner swatted his hand away and gave him a sharp look. Their orders had been explicit; no one was to get in, and most certainly no one was supposed to leave the room.  
  
Jordan watched the exchange with a mix of confusion and building rage. "God DAMMIT!!" he shrieked, his voice raw with emotion, "Let me the hell out of here, you sons of bitches! Can't you see I'm needed?! What the hell is the matter with you?!" However, the two guards found it easy to ignore him; they couldn't understand a word he was saying, and the glass did a good job of muting out the young man's shouting.  
  
Unable to contain the feelings of anger and hatred building up inside of him, Jordan began to slam his fists into the door, trying to take his rage and frustration out on the inanimate object. Then his right fist struck the door at an odd angle, and sharp piercing pain shot up his arm. Jordan let out a strangled cry of pain as he stumbled backwards, and landed awkwardly on his back. Cradling his injured wrist in his other hand, Jordan bit down on his lower lip as he waited for the pain to subside. When the pain started to go away, he tested his hand, and was relieved to find that he hadn't broken it.  
  
'Way to go idiot,' Jordan chided himself, 'That's exactly what the people in charge of this place wanted to see; a pilot acting like a freaking spoiled toddler.' Standing back up, Jordan grabbed the plugsuit that he had just dropped. 'If they didn't want his help fighting the Angel out there, fine,' Jordan told himself, 'But I'm going to be ready and waiting in case they change their minds.' With that, he moved over to one of the corners and began to change into his plugsuit.  
  
***  
  
Shinji listened to the sound of his breathing echoing off the curved walls of his entry plug. It was odd, he thought, if the whole entry plug was filled with fluid, why could he hear himself so clearly? Squeezing his eyes shut, Shinji tried to focus his mind again. The thirteenth angel was here; now. Heading this way. He must concentrate.  
  
'I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away…'  
  
Over the comm the voice of one of the NERV technicians came over the line. "Unit-02, the target is approaching your location. Do you have a visual?"  
  
"Nein!" Asuka's voice shouted over Shinji's comm with a hint more fear in it than the young girl probably wanted, "I can't see anything yet! Where is it? What's going on, why can't I see it?!"  
  
"Calm down 02," the adult's voice said with unnerving calmness, " It's approaching straight down the road you are on…"  
  
"What are you talking about, there's nothing here!" Asuka's voice screeched, starting to rise in pitch, "I can't—AAAIIIIIIIIEEE!!!"  
  
Shinji gasped, and soon realized he had been holding his breath. Gasping again for air, he heard the voice of the NERV technician speak again, "Unit- 02's entry plug has been safely ejected. Angel is now approaching Unit-00's position. First Child, do you have a visual yet?"  
  
Shinji listened and shivered as he listened to another exchange between NERV command and Rei, wishing fervently that Rei could stop the angel. But just as it had with Asuka, the Angel quickly dispatched Rei and her Eva, and continued on towards NERV headquarters and Shinji.  
  
The voice of the NERV technician cut through the fear induced haze of Shinji's mind. "Pilot Ikari, you need to calm down and concentrate. You're the last line of defense between the Angel and the Geofront. Can you do that for us?"  
  
Forcing his breathing to slow down, and pushing his fear back down; Shinji nodded and simply replied, "Hai."  
  
"Very good Pilot Ikari. The Angel is approaching your position now. Prepare to engage."  
  
With his eyes glued to the forward monitor, Shinji gripped the control handles in a fierce death grip, as he waited for the Angel to appear. His breath whistled in and out of his mouth through clenched teeth as he saw the shadow of his enemy move forward from around a bend in the road. Reacting from practice and experience, Unit-01's hand reached up and drew the progressive knife from its place in the shoulder sheath. 'Should I rush and attack it like Asuka would?' Shinji thought, as the Angel's form began to appear around the side of the mountain, 'But maybe it would be better to engage it from a dist,,,what? Oh no…'  
  
The Angel that came into view was nothing like Shinji had expected. The black shape of Eva Unit-03 stalked forward towards its prey while Shinji remained paralyzed in shock.  
  
"Pilot Ikari, what are you doing?" the voice of the technician now held an edge of panic and confusion, "The Angel is nearly on top of you…why aren't you engaging?"  
  
"I c-can't!" Shinji croaked out, finding his voice, "T-that is…a-a-an Eva!"  
  
There was a click on the comm device as a new speaker came on line. Shinji flinched as the sound of his father's voice filled the entry plug. "Pilot, Unit-03 has been designated the Thirteenth Angel. You will attack and destroy it at once."  
  
Shinji was frozen between watching the approaching black demon, and the command given by his father. "B-but…there's someone…in there!"  
  
Suddenly, before Shinji could react, the Angel lashed out; it's limbs stretching impossibly far to slam into Unit-04. Shinji gasped from the surprise and pain of the impact, and the progressive knife slipped from the grip of Unit-01's fingers. As it toppled, Unit-01 slammed into the side of the large hill, with the Angel quickly pouncing upon it; ready to tear it's prey to shreds.  
  
***  
  
"Shinji, you must destroy this Angel," Gendo said more forcefully, even though he hadn't moved from his seated position above the technicians in Central Dogma. Slightly behind him, Fuyutsuki watched from his usual position; lines of worry etched his otherwise impassive face. On the screen before them, the NERV personnel watched helplessly as Shinji and Unit-01 struggled against the Thirteenth Angel.  
  
"I can't!" Shinji repeated with equal force, though his voice was filled with fear and pain, unlike his father's deathly calm monotone, "There's a pilot in there! I can't kill him!"  
  
Commander Ikari paused as he considered his son's words. To the technicians below, the Commander said, "Prepare to activate to dummy plug system; the boy may leave us no choice…"  
  
"Wait, Commander," Fuyutsuki said hurriedly, before regaining his composure. Gendo turned in his chair to regard the Sub-Commander, and the light struck his orange glasses in a way that hid the expression in Gendo's eyes.  
  
"What is it, Sub-Commander?" Gendo said quickly, "We don't have much time for delays."  
  
"Unit-04 and the American pilot are ready to be launched," Fuyutsuki said trying to keep his voice even, "I have just received word from the launch cage that the pilot merely needs to be given the order to synch, and we can get Unit-04 to the scene of the battle to assist Unit-01 within a matter of a few minutes."  
  
Commander Ikari's brow furrowed into a frown, and he spoke in a low and dangerous tone, "Who countermanded my orders?"  
  
"I did, sir," Fuyutsuki replied, trying to keep the anxiety from his voice and facial features.  
  
The NERV Commander continued to frown, but his voice no longer held its edge. "You disappoint me Sub-Commander, but now is not the time for this. Launch Unit-04 at once." Fuyutsuki nodded and relayed the message to the technicians below. After he did, Gendo spoke once more.  
  
"When the Angel is defeated, we will meet inside my office," Commander Ikari said impassively, "I want an explanation for your actions."  
  
***  
  
On the side of the mountain, Shinji struggled for breath as the Angel that was Unit-03 now tried to strangle the life out of him and Unit-01. As dots began to form on the edge of his vision, the boy struggled with his inner thoughts. 'Why isn't father telling me to fight? Is he just leaving me here to die? Maybe I deserve to die, since I won't fight. But how can I kill another human being? What am I supposed to do?!'  
  
But then, just before Shinji strength was about to give out, he saw an amazing thing. The top of the Angel's black head was obscured as a large hand reached up and gripped down on the Angel's face. Before Unit-03 had a chance to howl in surprise and rage, the hand of the new Eva yanked backwards sending the thirteenth angel careening backwards through the dirt and dust.  
  
It was then that Shinji saw the other Eva for the first time, as air began to rush back into his oxygen-starved lungs. He noted fearfully that it looked surprisingly similar to the black Eva, save for the fact that this one was painted in an almost silvery gray. It held itself in a low crouch while it watched the Angel pick itself up; a prog-knife clutch in it's left fist.  
  
Then reality came back to Shinji and he grabbed the controls to his own Eva just as the Angel leaped up to attack the new Eva.  
  
***  
  
In hindsight, Jordan realized that it had been foolish not to try and go for the kill immediately. For almost as soon as Unit-03 had recovered from Jordan's little stunt, it was up and upon him in the blink of an eye.  
  
Yanking fiercely on the left control yoke, he willed his Eva to bring up the prog-knife to slash at the other Eva's throat as it rushed toward him in a beast-like leap. But Unit-03 moved with seemingly supernatural agility, and seized Unit-04's left wrist, stopping the prog-knife mere feet away from its demonic face. With its other arm, Unit-03 reached out for the throat of Jordan's Eva, but the American caught the Unit-03's hand, and braced against the other Eva's awesome strength.  
  
Unit-03; Jordan couldn't bring himself to think of the other Eva as the thirteenth angel, not yet. Though when he had seen the black colored Eva crouched over the form of the purple Eva, that sight had sealed things for Jordan Reynolds. Though the Angel may be one of the Evas, it couldn't be allowed to run berserk like this.  
  
Flexing his left arm, Jordan tried to move the blade of his knife closer and closer to Unit-03's neck. 'Maybe if I can hurt the damn thing,' he thought, 'I might stand a chance.' But the Angel seemed to have an infinite source of strength, and Jordan could barely rotate the wrist, there was so much pressure applied to it. Then in an act of inspiration, Jordan flicked the blade to the side, and plunged the prog-knife into 03's right arm. Jordan let out of grunt of satisfaction as he saw dark blood spurt out from the wound he made. However, Jordan's feeling of victory was extremely short lived, as he saw no affect register in Unit-03. In fact Jordan swore he saw the Eva smile before it increased the pressure on his left wrist enough to snap the limb back at an unnatural angle.  
  
Jordan howled in anguish, and felt his Eva fall to one knee under the intense attack of the Angel. With his right hand holding onto the right control yoke as if for dear life, he held his left arm against his chest trying to tell himself that the limb hadn't been broken. Above him, Unit-03 still held him by both arms and was now pressing his Eva backwards in an attempt to break Unit-04's leg at the knee. As the pressure began to build up in his knee, Jordan screamed as the pain began to build up to more than he could bear.  
  
Suddenly the pain vanished, and Jordan nearly collapsed in the sudden rush of relief. Opening his eyes, which had been squeezed shut a moment ago, Jordan saw the purple Eva, Unit-01 standing above him, its arms still braced after ramming itself into Unit-03. Letting out his breath, Jordan chuckled; he had completely forgotten about the other evangelion unit. However, to Jordan's surprise the other pilot didn't pursue the fight with Unit-03. 'What the heck does this guy think he's doing? Why won't he attack?' Jordan thought in confusion, 'Can't he see he's going to get himself killed?'  
  
The young man winced as he watched the Angel attack Unit-01 once more. This time, instead of plowing the Eva into the ground, the Angel grabbed Unit-01 by both arms, and pulled them backwards while pressing down on 01's back with its foot. Forcing himself up, Jordan tried to move to the other pilot's aid.  
  
However, as he tried to force his Eva to stand up, he was rewarded with a sharp pain in his knee. 'Damn it all, it must've been damaged,' Jordan cursed silently, 'I don't have time with this.' Looking around quickly, he groped around for his dropped prog-knife. Finding the weapon he seized it in his right hand, and began to slowly hobble over to the unsuspecting Angel. No fancy stuff this time, he promised himself, just one swift attack and finish this. Then, steeling his determination against the pain he leapt outward towards Unit-03.  
  
He impacted solidly against Unit-03's back, and Jordan looped his bad arm around the Angel's neck, while with the other he plunged the blade deep into the Eva's thick neck. Screaming with unholy rage, the thirteenth angel released Unit-01, and tried to claw at the Eva, which hung precariously to its back. Gritting his teeth against the exertion, Jordan held fast onto the blade even thought the thick blood from the Angel made it slippery to hold. Jerking it back and forth violently, Jordan tried with all of his might to inflict some sort of damage to the berserk Eva, but Unit-03 seemed to struggle all the harder with each twist of the prog-knife.  
  
Finally, ripping the blade out of the Angel's neck, Jordan tried for a different approach. Stabbing down lower in the chest area, Jordan ripped the knife deep into the Angel's flesh hoping to find its S2 organ. He remembered the commanders back in America teaching him that was the only way to stop the Angels. Even though Unit-03 wasn't supposed to have one of the S2 organs, Jordan didn't know any other way to end this fight.  
  
Then, Jordan felt his prog-knife encounter hard resistance, and the Angel began to struggle far more desperately, gouging its fingers deep into the unprotected areas of Unit-04's back. Squeezing his eyes shut against the pain, Jordan lifted the prog-knife one more time; he knew he must be at the S2 organ now. Striking downward with all of his might, Jordan slammed his blade against the solid sphere of the S2 organ. Once, twice, and again, he struck until he felt the blade go through, and Unit-03 went limp in his arms, like a lifeless doll.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile from within Unit-01, Shinji watched in morbid fascination as the Angel collapsed lifelessly on the other Eva, burying it under its own deadweight. Shinji gasped in surprise and horror; true he had hated watching the battle between the two Evas, but when he had seen the gray one destroy the Angel's S2 engine, he thought that then the nightmare might be over. Shinji had thought then that maybe neither would have to die. But as neither Eva showed any movement, Shinji felt the bile of fear and dread begin to build in the back of his thought.  
  
But then as he took one step forward, the tangled bodies moved ever so slightly. Then as the third child continued to watch, the broken mess shifted again, and this time Shinji saw the good hand of the gray Eva appear. Grabbing a hold of 03's shoulder plate, it twisted the dead Angel over onto its stomach and Unit-04 stood…or at least it tried to. Shinji could see that its left wrist was all but destroyed, and the right leg below the knee didn't seem to be working right.  
  
Shinji thought about offering the other Eva a hand to stand up, but then to the boy's consternation and then horror, he watched as Unit-04 turned back to the Angel and began to tear at the metal plating on it's back and neck.  
  
'What is it doing?' Shinji thought as he breathing became ragged and full of terror, 'Why is it still attacking the Eva? Hasn't it done enough? There's still a pilot in there…oh my God, the pilot!' As a piece of the Angel's armor clattered by Shinji's feet, Unit-01's hands clenched into fists, and began to charge forward. "Stop it!!" Shinji screamed as he rushed forward towards Unit-04, "Stop killing it!! STOP!!!"  
  
Then just as Unit-01 was about to plow into the other evangelion, Unit-04 looked up and held a hand up in front of it. Confused, Shinji's pain-filled rage halted almost as quickly as his Eva slid to a stop just bare feet from Unit-04. Panting from both the physical and emotional trauma, Shinji stared at the other Eva asking silent questions. 'Why? What? What are you doing?"  
  
Unit-04's head turned away, and with its good hand it gingerly reached into the hole it had made in Unit-03's back. Then with great delicacy, it lifted a thin narrow object; a pale colored rod that Shinji instantly recognized. Then turning towards Unit-01 again, it offered the object towards Shinji, cradling it with great care.  
  
Stunned, Shinji reached out with both hands and cupped the entry-plug as it were made of fragile china. Looking back and forth between the entry-plug and Unit-04, Shinji whispered, "Domo…domo arigato." As if the Eva had heard and understood, it looked away and leaned backwards onto it's back, as if resting. Shinji looked back at the entry plug. 'It's strange,' Shinji found himself thinking, 'I don't know who is in this entry-plug, but yet it is so dear to me, as if I might know them.' Come to think of it, he didn't even know who was in the grey Eva. Then Asuka's words from earlier back in the day returned, and he remembered the two new Evas that she had talked about. 'I bet she didn't expect that she would be fighting one of them,' Shinji thought in a weird twist of humor. But that train of thought quickly vanished as he saw NERV recovery vehicles appear on the road coming to take the Evas and their equipment back to the Geofront.  
  
Since Unit-01 was undamaged, Shinji knew that eventually he would be asked to pilot it back under it's own power, but he felt compelled to stay for now. As he saw vehicles begin to swarm around the motionless Unit-04, a sudden thought occurred to Shinji. Now was his chance to see the new pilot before any of the others! Though Asuka might not be too keen on being beaten on that account, it would still be fun to say he was the first. Looking down, Shinji saw the entry plug eject and LCL drain out as the hatch opened. Leaning forward in his own entry-plug, Shinji tried to get a better look.  
  
But then as the figure appeared from the entry-plug, Shinji squinted in surprise. The pilot looked so tall…for a child like the rest of them. And in fact as NERV agents and technicians approached the pilot, Shinji could indeed see that the adults and the pilot appeared to be almost the same size and stature. Then to compound that mystery, a trio of the black suited Section-2 agents approached the pilot. Though Shinji knew that Section-2 agents often followed him and his fellow pilots for security reasons, the way the pilot flinched away made it seem as if he feared the intelligence agents.  
  
Finally, Shinji saw the pilot slouch as if in surrender and then hold out his hands in front of them. Then the Section 2 agents attached something to the pilots wrists, over the distance Shinji couldn't tell what, and then the agents escorted the pilot into a car that quickly drove off.  
  
"What was all that about?" Shinji asked of nobody in particular. It seemed the longer he piloted Eva, the stranger things seemed to get. Then with a sparkle of static, the Eva's comm system came to life, disturbing Shinji's reflections.  
  
"Shinji…Shinji?!"  
  
Instantly recognizing the female voice, Shinji stammered before properly finding his voice. "M-m-misato? It's me! Are you alright, you sound hurt?"  
  
On the other side of the comm, Major Katsuragi hesitated, "I was at Matsushiro…I was there when Unit-03 went berserk. But listen, that's not important, I'm alright. What I need to tell you is…"  
  
"Did I do alright?" Shinji asked, interrupting his guardian, "I hesitated...during the battle…but did I do alright?"  
  
Over the comm, again Misato hesitated, taken aback by Shinji's plea. "Of course…of course, you did the best you could. But Shinji listen to me now. There is something I need to tell you…"  
  
Suddenly some motion to his right distracted Shinji. Turning his Eva's head in that direction, he saw that the recovery technicians were finally opening up 03's entry-plug. Entranced, Shinji watched as Misato continued to speak in a halting and emotion-filled voice.  
  
"Shinji…about the fourth child…I never told you who the fourth child was… but Shinji, you deserve to know! The fourth child is…"  
  
Then the technicians pulled the unconscious form of the pilot into view, and even across the distance Shinji could recognize the familiar black crew cut and the narrow face of the other child.  
  
"T…T…T…" Shinji began to stammer in a quiet broken voice. Suddenly the full impact of all that had just transpired flooded back into Shinji's consciousness with new meaning. All this time one of his closest friends had been inside the entry-plug of that beast. And the words of his father seemed to ring in his ears like the tones of a death knell.  
  
'You will attack and destroy it at once.'  
  
"TOOUUUJJIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!"  
  
  
  
****************************************************  
  
Ya-ha-har! Not quite like in the series, but I'd still imagine that Shinji would be pretty upset to learn that he was fighting Touji in that battle. So will Shinji try to leave NERV like he did in the series? And what will happen to Jordan and Unit-04 now? All these and more will hopefully be answered in the next installment.  
  
Please let me know how that went, as far as action and characterization. Feedback is what I live on. ^_~  
  
I've just barely started on chapter four so it may be a while before I get that up. There was something else I wanted to say, but it's bloody well left me. Oh well. Thanks again to all those who read and reply! 


	4. Moving In, Moving On

Hi again, sorry for the long wait between updates. This chapter is much longer than the other ones and I actually thought about breaking it up into two chapters, but I think it's best to keep it all in one lump for the moment.  
  
I want to say thanks to the two new readers NET and DarkPower. Thank you both for replying and for the kind words. Please feel free to continue commenting, I really appreciate the feedback; and that goes for all my readers. Without your input I would have probably quit a long time ago! ^_^  
  
Anyway trying some new stuff here so please let me know what you think. If you have any questions feel free to post them in the review section and I'll gladly answer them.  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own any Evangelion property, but I don't plan to sell this so no need to sue.  
  
And now on to the story…  
  
  
  
Language Protocol:  
  
"…" – Japanese  
  
[…] – English  
  
… - German  
  
'…' – Thoughts  
  
  
  
Chapter 4: Moving In, Moving On  
  
  
  
(NERV Headquarters, Commanders Office…)  
  
  
  
A few hours after the angel attack, the two commanders of NERV met within Commander Ikari's private enclave. As usual, Fuyutsuki took his place at the commander's side, while Gendo sat down behind the desk, with his hands clasped in front of his face. Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki tried to keep his breathing at a normal level as Gendo remained motionless and silent.  
  
At last the unearthly silence was broken. "Why did you disobey my orders regarding the foreign pilot?" Commander Ikari's voice was devoid of emotion, yet still held the crisp air of command to it. Fuyutsuki answered honestly, knowing he could do nothing else.  
  
"I believed it was the best course of action, given our goals," Kouzou replied in an even tone, "And I thought it best to put a proven weapon to use, rather than an untested system."  
  
Gendo arched an eyebrow at Fuyutsuki's last comment. "You refer to the dummy plug system? You know it has been successfully tested; you saw the same tests as I. And I would hardly call Unit-04 a proven weapon…"  
  
"Ah, but the dummy system has never been tested in a combat situation. There could have been no way to predict how it would react," Kouzou pointed out, falling into the old role of a lecturing professor, "And a human piloted Evangelion has always been our foremost weapon, whether or not the pilot has been one-hundred percent reliable. If I remember correctly, you had no problem sending out your own son to combat the third angel with absolutely no training at all."  
  
Commander Ikari merely 'hmmphed' in indignation, but made no real attempt to rebut the claims of the Sub-Commander.  
  
"Besides," Fuyutsuki continued, "I don't believe you were altogether dissatisfied with the results of today's battle. Am I not correct?"  
  
The Commander's frown began to dissipate, but his demeanor remained frigid as ever. "You assume correctly, Sub-Commander. Aside from the damage to three of the Evas, and the loss of Unit-03, today's events were satisfactory. And the American pilot has proven himself capable."  
  
Fuyutsuki felt the urge to smile in victory, though that quickly vanished as Commander Ikari continued his quiet tirade. "However…in the future you will not question my orders under any circumstances. Because of today's events the scenario must be changed. Not drastically, but it could prove troublesome to us nevertheless." At this Gendo sighed and leaned back in his seat, "The good news is that this altercation may buy us a brief respite before the next attack. The angels are not dumb beasts; they will take time to re-evaluate their course of action."  
  
"Therefore," Gendo continued putting the focus back on Kouzou, "as discipline, I'm curtailing your executive privileges for one week. You understand this of course?"  
  
"Of course. And believe me, it was with a heavy heart that I did go behind your back on this. So then," Fuyutsuki said with a resigned air, "What do you plan to do now?"  
  
Standing up from his desk, Gendo Ikari faced the windows behind him and crossed his arms over his chest. "Unfortunately, although Unit-03 was stopped without being completely destroyed, it will be impossible to salvage. Dr. Akagi has informed me that when the Angel took over the Eva, it completely reconfigured its DNA structure. It will need to be incinerated; it is too great a liability for us to keep or try to repair."  
  
"And the Fourth Child?" Kouzou asked, "What is to become of him?"  
  
"We have no choice," Commander Ikari replied emotionlessly, "He will have to be released from duty once he is out of the infirmary. Since he knows so little of NERV due to his short time here, he should not present a problem to us."  
  
"I see…and what is to become of the American pilot?"  
  
Though Fuyutsuki could not see, the Commander's lips twisted into a thin smile. Returning his features to their characteristic impassiveness, Gendo turned around and took his place once more at his desk. "Pilot Reynolds is on his way here as we speak, Sub-Commander."  
  
As if by perfect timing, the doors to the Commander's office swung open and Jordan Reynolds entered flanked by two Section 2 agents. Once more, the young adult's hands were handcuffed in front of him. Commander Ikari made a small gesture to the Section 2 agents, who then promptly removed Jordan's restraints and left to stand outside the chamber. Throughout all of this, Jordan's verdant gaze remained unfocused at the floor in front of him.  
  
Gendo raised one arm from it's place in front of his chin and motioned for Fuyutsuki to act as translator. Clearing his throat, Fuyutsuki addressed the sullen looking pilot in front of them.  
  
[How do you feel Pilot Reynolds?]  
  
Jordan looked up, as if becoming aware of the other two men for the first time. Bringing his head around to face Fuyutsuki, he replied tersely, [I've been worse.]  
  
[Oh?] the Sub-Commander's eyes arched in mild surprise.  
  
Once more, the young man returned his gaze to the floor, before answering. [Let's just say it's not everyday you save the day and receive a criminal's welcome.]  
  
Through out the entire exchange, the Commander's eyes remained riveted on the young man from behind the orange tinted glasses. The scrutiny did not go unnoticed by the American. When the feeling of discomfort became more than he could stand, he looked back at Fuyutsuki and blurted, [Look, what do you want of me?]  
  
Without breaking his gaze, Commander Ikari reached under his desk and pulled out a beige folder and handed it up to Fuyutsuki, who accepted it dutifully. Opening the folder, the Sub-Commander skimmed its contents briefly; his eyes widening fractionally as its significance dawned on Fuyutsuki. Kouzou then laid the open folder facing Jordan on the desk so that the American could see for himself.  
  
[You are to be officially reinstated into NERV as the full-time pilot of Unit-04,] Fuyutsuki said calmly, [All we need is your signature to complete the process.]  
  
Jordan accepted the proffered pen and bent down over the contract offered to him. Though as he began to read the same contract he had signed once before in America, he once again became aware of Commander Ikari watching him. Jordan suppressed the urge to cringe. 'It's like he's searching me; trying to find some weakness or flaw.' He tried to discern the commander's eyes through the glasses but the glare from the window behind them made it impossible to see. In the end, it was Jordan who broke eye contact; he lifted the pen and affixed his signature to the contract.  
  
As Jordan straightened his stance again, Fuyutsuki accepted the folder back. [Welcome back to NERV, Pilot Reynolds,] the Sub-Commander said with a thin smile, [Since your case is rather different from that of the other pilots, your status will also be altered slightly. Since you are a legal adult, you will be given a position within NERV's military structure equivalent to that of a Specialist. Accordingly you will also be given a small pension to support yourself.]  
  
Nodding, Jordan let out a gruff, [Thanks.]  
  
After removing a few important sets of pages, the Sub-Commander handed them over to the American and explained. [These contain your NERV identification card as well as a handbook of NERV regulations. Also you will find a copy of the Japanese Kanji inside as well. As a stipulation of your rejoining NERV, you are required to learn to speak passable Japanese. It is simply too hard to direct a battle while translating back and forth. Does this present a problem?]  
  
Jordan frowned as he looked at the thick translation book. A vague memory reminded him that the Japanese language contained several thousand unique characters. Grimacing, he replied, [No sir, no problem.]  
  
[Good,] Fuyutsuki answered, and then on an afterthought he added, [Your report did not say, but do you speak any other languages besides English?]  
  
Jordan looked up from the Kanji. [I speak some German…]  
  
Fuyutsuki allowed himself a small smile. [Well…that is fortunate. The Second Child hails from Germany; until you get a firm grasp on the Kanji, it may work well for you to use her as a translator.] Jordan nodded again in understanding.  
  
It was then that Commander Ikari spoke for the first time. "Tell Pilot Reynolds that he is dismissed for the time being." Both Jordan and Fuyutsuki seemed surprised by the sudden interruption, but the elder man was better and covering it up. The Sub-Commander relayed Gendo's command and activated a signal for the doors of the office to open.  
  
Recovering from his surprise, Jordan found the presence of mind to ask, [Where will I stay?]  
  
Looking non-plussed, Fuyutsuki looked to Commander Ikari for an answer. The NERV commander made a deft motion with his fingers, giving Fuyutsuki his answer. [Your housing arraignments will be taken care of before you leave here. You are dismissed.]  
  
Unsatisfied with the cryptic answer, but taking the meaning behind the Sub- Commander's tone, Jordan nodded and left through the double doors, leaving the two commanders alone once again.  
  
"So…what will be done about Pilot Reynolds housing situation?" Kouzou asked when the sound of retreating footsteps had vanished. "Surely you don't intend to store him in his entry plug the entire time?"  
  
Gendo snorted indignantly, "Don't be ridiculous. I have already given some thought to the matter. It has proven wise to have most of the pilots in one place during an Angel attack. I would like to continue that trend."  
  
Fuyutsuki hesitated before asking, "Do you think it's wise to burden Major Katsuragi with yet another responsibility? You would think she was the official NERV nanny. Furthermore, do you think it is wise to place Reynolds there, given his past record?"  
  
Commander Ikari was silent, as he appeared to ponder the situation. "Your observations have merit, Kouzou. And the Major is somewhat overburdened already. But I have a satisfactory solution."  
  
"Oh?" Fuyutsuki asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"The apartment adjacent to the Major is free, is it not?" Gendo asked, "So long as the pilots are near-by I think it would be sufficient. Do you not agree?"  
  
Nodding thoughtfully, Fuyutsuki said, "An excellent idea. I'll see that the arraignments are made."  
  
"While you do that," Gendo added, "Be sure that you schedule several synch- tests for Pilot Reynolds this week. We must see if he can be brought up to speed with the rest of the pilots."  
  
Fuyutsuki nodded in understanding. Despite the American pilot's success against the angel, his recorded synch ratio had been less than stellar compared to the rest of the children. "I'll do so. Though you know, he did make a personal record for himself this time, synching at 40.8 percent. Nearly as high as your son on his first try."  
  
At his desk, Gendo frowned once more. "This is true. But after nearly a year, the other children have already much progress. Between the second and third children, they have come close to almost doubling their initial synch ratios. Yet in ten years, the American has only progressed by barely 2%?"  
  
"You fear that something is interfering with his ability to synch? His age perhaps?"  
  
Gendo thought about it for a second and replied, "No, his age shouldn't be a factor, considering he was still born after Second Impact. No, I believe the answer may lie in the core profile of the Eva itself."  
  
"Oh? Do you think the American's forgot to imprint their Eva's core?" Fuyutsuki asked.  
  
"No, they weren't that foolish. Their scientists had just as much understanding as ours," Gendo corrected, "However, for the sake of time, I think they failed to pay as close attention to the core imprint as they should have. Deep down, I think the reason why the second and third synch so well, while Specialist Reynolds does not, is not dissimilar to the reason why Rei had such trouble synching with Unit-00."  
  
"Ah, I see," Kouzou murmured as understanding finally came to him, "And you wish to run the synch tests to confirm that?"  
  
Behind his clasped hands, Gendo smiled grimly.  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
(Inside the NERV Infirmary…)  
  
  
  
"Shinji…why the long face?" a somewhat hoarse voice croaked.  
  
Looking up from the floor, Shinji looked into the face of his good friend Touji Suzuhara and forced himself to smile. When he had heard that his friend was awake, he had rushed down from the pilot's debriefing room to the infirmary. Though he was shocked to see that his friend had a broken leg and several stitches, the relief at seeing Touji alive had taken a heavy burden off the boy's shoulders.  
  
"Gomen," Shinji replied, "I just had a lot on my mind."  
  
"Hey…it could be worse," Touji said with a weak smile, "…least I made it out in one piece…mostly."  
  
Shinji's smile vanished as he remembered the events from earlier that day. "I just can't believe…that I almost had to kill you." 'Would Father have forced me?' Shinji asked himself, as he once more returned to his silent introspection, 'Would he, if it hadn't been for that other Eva?'  
  
Suddenly, Shinji felt something touch his shoulder and he looked up to see Touji gripping him by the shoulder. His face displayed a lop-sided grin as he said, "Hey, ya did what ya had to do. Remember I was there too, I saw just about everything that happened. And I want you ta know that I don't blame you or nothing. If anyone's ta blame its those damn Angels, eh?"  
  
Smiling in spite of himself, Shinji nodded in agreement, "Yeah, you have a point." Shinji then snorted as if thinking of some private joke. "I don't get it. After all that's happened to you, I can't understand how you can still be so care-free about it."  
  
"Well…" Touji began to say, as he fiddled with the bandage around his forehead, "You weren't the first person ta visit me today…"  
  
At this, Shinji's eyes widened in confusion. Seeing his friends bewilderment, Touji began to explain, "Well you see, I guess they didn't tell you guys right away that I was awake, but apparently Class Rep found out I was here, and somehow managed to get in."  
  
"Class Rep?" Shinji echoed in shock and confusion.  
  
"Yupp, she dropped off the assignments I missed as well as a lunch she made personally for me. Awfully darn nice of Hikar — I mean Class Rep…"  
  
Touji's slip of tongue did not go unnoticed by Shinji. "W-wait…you just called Class Rep, Hikari…"  
  
Averting his eyes, Touji pretended in vain to act unconcerned. "So what? Slip of tongue, nothing else."  
  
"You and Class Rep…" Shinji mulled over the thought in his head before reaching the conclusion, "…in love?"  
  
Going into full panic mode, Touji fixed Shinji with a look of pure desperation, "Hey, don't say that so loudly. Someone might here ya!"  
  
"But there's nobody here," Shinji protested, then after some more thought he added, "Does that means it's true?"  
  
"What? No! I never said anything like that!"  
  
"It IS true," Shinji emphasized, grinning ear to ear, "That's why you've been so cheerful, isn't it?"  
  
Deflating in defeat, Touji plopped his bandaged head onto the pillow. "Look, just don't go spreading it around all over school, please? I'd never hear the end of it from the guys. And the She-Demon would want ta have my head on a wooden stake. No, Hikari would have my head on a wooden stake!"  
  
Shinji clamped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. I won't even tell Kensuke."  
  
Breathing a he sigh of relief, Touji looked up at Shinji and said, "You're a real life-saver, Shinji, ya know that?"  
  
"Thanks," Shinji replied as he stood up to leave. "I-I guess I'll see you again tomorrow?"  
  
"Sure," Touji replied as he closed his eyes to rest, "You take care of yourself now, ya hear?"  
  
"You too, Touji, you too."  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
Outside in the infirmary's lobby, Major Misato Katsuragi fiddled with the bandage around her broken arm. It was a memento from the failed-activation of Unit-03 earlier that day; thankfully the painkillers had set in a few hours ago, leaving the limb numb. Looking over to her left, Misato saw that her companion, Asuka Soryu was leaning back in one of the hospital chairs with a look of extreme boredom.  
  
Noticing the sudden attention, Asuka looked over and whined, "Can we go yet?"  
  
"Not until Shinji is done," Misato replied with as much patience as she could muster after the long day, "You know Touji was one of his close friends."  
  
Misato noted thankfully that Asuka made no snide or sarcastic comments. Though it was undeniably part of her nature, Misato knew that sometimes Asuka could hurt people with her comments, more than the girl realized. 'At least she's being mostly mature about all this,' Misato thought to herself, 'Maybe she's finally learning.'  
  
The major's attention was drawn away from her thoughts as one of the infirmary orderlies cleared his throat behind her. "Excuse me, Major Katsuragi?"  
  
"Hai," Misato replied automatically as she stood up to face the orderly. 'God, do I really sound that exhausted?'  
  
"Here's a message for you, delivered from NERV Headquarters," the orderly replied as he handed Misato a large envelope. She recognized the format; it was a set of new orders. Pushing back the protests forming in her mind, Misato sat back down and tore open the envelope. As Misato read through the orders, Asuka watched from her seat, trying to discern what was going on.  
  
After Misato set down the sheet of paper, Asuka could hold back her curiosity no longer. "Well? What's going on, Misato-san? Please don't tell me we have to stay here even longer?!"  
  
"Well…maybe a little longer…" Misato replied as she began to read the orders a second time.  
  
Groaning loudly, Asuka buried her face in her hands. "Why can't we just go HOME, Misato-san?"  
  
"Well…I dunno, how can I put this…we're getting a new neighbor."  
  
Asuka looked up and blinked in bewilderment. "New neighbor?" she repeated as if the words were foreign to her, then after wracking her brain quickly for an explanation, she made what seemed like a obvious assumption. "The other new pilot?"  
  
Misato smiled at Asuka's quick thinking. "Looks like it."  
  
Her curiosity getting the better of her, Asuka plopped herself down next to Misato and attempted to read over the other woman's shoulder. "Well does it say anything interesting? I've been trying to find out about this new pilot ever since I heard about the new Evas, but nobody will tell me anything about her!"  
  
Misato ignored the fact that Asuka wasn't supposed to know about either the new pilots or the new Evas, and instead asked, "Oh? What makes you think it's a 'her'?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious? Of course they would bring in a female pilot. Myself and Wondergirl ought to be proof of that."  
  
Trying not to grin, Misato handed Asuka one of the papers from the envelope. "Brace yourself," was all that the major said.  
  
Asuka snatched up the paper with a look of confused annoyance and began to scan over its contents. However she had only read through about three lines when she saw what she had been dreading.  
  
"Awwwwww! Not another boy! They may as well make the next Eva pilot a monkey!!"  
  
Misato tried to hold back a grin and failed miserably. "Not a boy, Asuka- chan," Misato teased, "Read more carefully."  
  
Looking back at the paper, Asuka began to read again, mumbling as she did. "American…could be worse, I guess. Might be cute, but I doubt it…what the…?!" Asuka looked up and over at Misato who merely nodded in affirmation.  
  
"B-b-but…I thought only children could pilot Eva?' Asuka asked.  
  
"I know," Misato sighed, "I never said it made sense. But I'm sure there's some explanation."  
  
"Well at least it explains why he won't be living with us. It's bad enough with just one male in the house," Asuka mumbled.  
  
The sound of a door clicking shut caught the attention of both females. Looking down the hallway to the left, they saw Shinji walking towards them. When he reached them, Misato spoke.  
  
"How is he, Shinji-kun?"  
  
"He's doing alright, I guess," Shinji replied, remembering his promise to Touji. "He just needs to rest."  
  
"Must be the luckiest stooge in the whole world," Asuka replied with mild distaste.  
  
Shinji thought for a moment and then muttered, "Yeah I guess so."  
  
Seeking to change the subject quickly, Misato beckoned for Shinji to sit down next to her. "Look at this, Shinji. We're going to have a new neighbor," she said as she handed him the same paper as she had given Asuka earlier.  
  
Shinji read through the paper and reached the same conclusion as Asuka. "The new Eva pilot? Is that who we're waiting for?"  
  
"Hai, he ought to be here any minute now," Misato replied as she checked the watch on her good wrist.  
  
After a moment's silence, Asuka spoke up. "Well what do you have to say about this, Third Child? You've barely said anything since you came out of there?"  
  
"I'd really like to meet him, I think," Shinji replied, "He did help me against the Angel…and he helped save Touji too."  
  
While Asuka made no reply to Shinji's answer, a sudden thought occurred to Misato. "Oh, Asuka I almost forgot to tell you. The new pilot doesn't speak Japanese, and the only other language he knows besides English is German. So do you mind acting as translator? At least until he learns a little Japanese?"  
  
The girl rolled her eyes but replied, "Yeah, I'll help the dummkopf. He just better not mangle my native language."  
  
Just then, the sliding doors of the infirmary hissed open, and all three turned their heads around in expectation. Jordan walked in through the threshold escorted by a single Section 2 agent. The young man now wore a simple blue button-up shirt and a pair of khaki slacks. Slung over one shoulder and held by a single finger was an ordinary gray windbreaker. Once inside, the Section 2 agent turned around and left, leaving the blond- haired young man with a lost expression on his face.  
  
"Well, there he is, children," Misato said as she worked her way out of the chair. "Asuka, try not to give him a bad first impression, okay?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Asuka huffed as the three made their way over to the lost-looking American.  
  
Asuka stood in front of him and cleared her throat. Then slowly she asked in German, You are Jordan Reynolds, are you not?   
  
Jordan narrowed his eyes at her tone, but simply nodded. Ja, that is I. And you are?   
  
Holding her head high, she put a hand on her chest and said, I am the Second Child, Asuka Langley Soryu. These other two are Major Misato Katsuragi and Shinji Ikari. Asuka gestured to each of the individuals in turn, who waved at the newcomer.  
  
Though he had trouble understanding some of the words, Jordan recognized 'Major Katsuragi.' Ah, that is good. I'm going with you three then?   
  
Ja, but before we go, I want to make something clear, okay? Asuka said holding a hand up. Since I am the only one you can really communicate with, when it comes to fighting the Angels you are going to need to depend on me for orders. So no just charging in blindly doing whatever you please, okay? Do you understand, or do I need to use smaller words?   
  
Jordan huffed indignantly, as he crossed his arms over his chest. Though he glared down at the shorter girl, he only said, Ja, I understood perfectly, kleines mädchen.   
  
What did you call me? Asuka suddenly blinked in surprise, Speak with some respect, dummkopf, I don't have to take any…   
  
"Asuka," Misato said from the sidelines of the discussion, "All I wanted to know was if he was ready to go or not."  
  
"Hai, hai," Asuka replied in irritation as she turned back to Jordan, annoyed to see that the young adult had the nerve to be smirking. Come with us. We are leaving now.   
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
(Later at Misato's apartment complex…)  
  
  
  
"Shinji-kun, go ahead and take everything inside," Misato called out as she fiddled with the key to the next-door apartment. "I'll be with you after Asuka and I have got Mister Reynolds settled."  
  
At Misato's side, Asuka had her arms crossed over her chest in indignation. "Why do I have to be here? We're just letting him in, aren't we?"  
  
"Yes, but you are needed in case he has any questions. Living in Japan must be a lot different from living in America," Misato explained. Asuka merely sighed in exasperation.  
  
"I told you to try and make a good impression back at the infirmary," Misato reprimanded. "I don't know why you're making such a fuss. He doesn't seem all that bad," she added as she stole a glance over her shoulder. Jordan was leaning against the railing behind them looking at something down the hall.  
  
"I just don't like him," Asuka insisted, "He's quite rude. And he's too quiet…like Shinji."  
  
Finally, Misato managed to get the door open. "Here we go," Misato said loud enough to get Jordan's attention. She gestured for him to follow her in. "Come on in, welcome to your new home."  
  
Following curiously, Jordan stepped into the apartment and began to look around. As the American began to explore, Misato and Asuka stood to one side. They both noted that the apartment was smaller than Misato's studio, due to the fact that it was located at the corner of the complex. However it did have its own kitchen and living room in the central chamber, with two doors on the side that led to the bedroom and bathroom.  
  
"Well, looks like he doesn't have any questions," Asuka said after a moment as Jordan disappeared into one of the rooms, "Let's go."  
  
As the girl turned to escape, Misato caught her with her good hand. "Where's your sense of hospitality, Asuka-chan? He's all but our guest, you know."  
  
Then from the bedroom, came Jordan's muffled voice. Kleines madchen? I need your help.   
  
Asuka grit her teeth. 'A little girl am I? I'll show you a little girl…" Coming, dummkopf!   
  
Entering the bedroom, Asuka found Jordan standing with an annoyed look on his face. Well, what is it? Asuka asked with all the civility she could muster.  
  
Where is the bed? I can't find it. Jordan sated with frustration in his voice.  
  
Asuka looked from Jordan to the futon on the floor in the center of the room and back at the American. Then she nearly laughed aloud, as she realized his mistake.  
  
Don't worry. Your bed is right here, mein idiote. Asuka gestured towards the futon on the floor.  
  
Now it was Jordan's turn to stare at the futon. You call that a bed?!   
  
Ja, what did you think it was, dummkopf? Asuka asked.  
  
That's a pile of sheets on the floor, not a bed. Jordan replied with annoyance.  
  
Well, then you must be more ignorant than I thought. Asuka said in a condescending tone. In Japan, people sleep on the floor. If you don't like it, that's just too bad. Live with it.   
  
Jordan gave Asuka one final glare, before shaking his head. Very well. he replied as he plopped down on the futon and cupped his hands behind his head. Goodnight.   
  
Without needing to be told twice, Asuka whirled around and began to walk out of the apartment. Misato was still standing there, and looked up as Asuka left the bedroom.  
  
"Is everything alright Asuka?" Misato asked, "I wanted you to ask him if he wanted to come over to our place for a little bit. You know, kind of like a welcoming party."  
  
Asuka shrugged, and made up a small lie, "I already asked him. He said he was too tired." 'Well he did practically fall asleep right in front of me.'  
  
"Oh," Misato said in an almost disappointed tone, "Well sleep does sound pretty good right now."  
  
"I thought you'd never say so," Asuka quipped as she pushed her way past Misato and into the apartment next door. Misato watched after her, confused at the girls' short temper. 'Well shorter than usual, I guess. Today has been stressful…for everyone.' Satisfied that she had fulfilled her obligation as hostess, she turned off the light in the apartment and closed the door behind her.  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
A few minutes later, found Misato sitting down at the kitchen table sipping at a can of beer, which in her opinion worked even better than the painkillers for her arm. In the background, Shinji was sitting on the couch listening to his SDAT serenely. Now that the alcohol was giving her a slight buzz, Misato was beginning to feel bored. Looking at the pile Shinji had brought in from the car, Misato began to sift through it looking for anything of interest. As she did so, Jordan's copy of the Japanese Kanji fell out and landed on the floor. Misato picked it up and recognized it quickly.  
  
"Shit, that new pilot forgot his stuff," Misato mumbled to herself. "Asuka? Asuka!"  
  
"What?!" shouted the girl from within her room.  
  
"Our neighbor left some of his stuff with us, would you mind giving it back?"  
  
"Nein!" Asuka shouted emphatically, "What do I look like, his maidservant? Besides, I'm half undressed for bed!"  
  
"I'll do it, Misato-san," Shinji said quietly from the couch. The SDAT had been turned off, and now lay on the floor.  
  
"Are you sure Shinji? If you'd rather listen to your music, I'll do it," Misato offered.  
  
"No, I'll take care of it," Shinji said more firmly, standing up to show his determination.  
  
"Suit yourself," Misato answered, handing the Kanji booklet to the boy, "Though I think he may be sleeping so be careful."  
  
Nodding, Shinji accepted the small book and walked outside the apartment to the next door over. 'What am I going to say?' thought for the first time, 'He doesn't speak Japanese, and I don't speak English or German.' Then Shinji reminded himself that he was just giving the man a book and that was it. Just put the book in Mr. Reynolds hand and walk away. That was all he had to do, right? That was all he needed to do.  
  
'But is it all I want to do?' Shinji found himself asking. 'Do I want to thank him? For helping me, and saving Touji?'  
  
'Do I want to try and be his friend?'  
  
Shinji hesitated in front of the door. Did he really want to try and be Jordan's friend? True, he may be a lot older than Shinji, but he was still an Eva pilot like himself. And though he was friends, after a fashion, with the other two pilots, Rei was often difficult to talk to, and Asuka, though she could be nice when she wanted to, never opened up to Shinji in the way he wanted.  
  
Raising a shaky hand, Shinji rapped on the door. 'Just give him back the book,' He repeated to himself. Shinji waited a handful of moments and knocked again. He repeated this two more times before the door swished open, startling Shinji. The light in the apartment was off, so the light from the hallway cast eerie shadows over the man's face. Jordan stared down at Shinji without emotion or expression, nor did he try and ask Shinji what he was doing. Staring back at Jordan, Shinji found himself unable to speak. The boy then realized that Jordan's expression was familiar; it reminded him of how Rei would sometimes look at him. Not disapproving, like his father, yet…curious?  
  
Then, Jordan suddenly turned around and walked back into the apartment; yet he left the door wide open. Standing out in the hall, Shinji stammered in confusion. Was Jordan trying to tell him to leave? Then why did he leave the door open? Why did this have to be so confusing?!  
  
"J-J-J-Jordan-s-san?' Shinji stuttered from the hallway as he poked his head inside.  
  
[Come in.] a voice said in English. Its meaning was lost on Shinji, but somehow he came to the right conclusion. Entering the apartment, Shinji saw that the light was on in the bedroom. Approaching it, he looked in and saw Jordan lying on the futon and facing towards the window on the opposite end of the room, appearing to be asleep. Then as if sensing Shinji's presence, one green eye opened and focused on Shinji.  
  
Hesitating at first, Shinji stooped down and laid the book of Kanji at the edge of the futon. Jordan looked over at it, and replied, [Thanks…Shinji.]  
  
Yet, though Shinji knew he was being dismissed, he still felt compelled to stay. Finally he worked up the courage enough to speak.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Jordan looked up at the sound of Shinji's voice. [Huh?]  
  
Shinji groaned, remembering the language barrier. Who was he trying to kid anyways? He was about to leave, when sudden inspiration came to him. Turning back into the bedroom, Shinji sat down cross-legged and picked the Kanji booklet back up. Looking to see what Shinji was doing, Jordan also sat up and stared at the boy in front of him.  
  
Holding up the Kanji manual, Shinji pointed one finger towards himself. "Me…" Shinji then pointed at the Kanji, "…teach…" Lastly, he pointed towards Jordan, "…you?"  
  
Young Ikari waited anxiously, as Jordan appeared to mull over the super- simplified question. Finally, the man's mouth twisted into a smirk, and Jordan held his hand out in front of Shinji. Shinji tentatively took it and Jordan began to shake it firmly. A smile breaking out on his face too, Shinji returned the handshake with vigor. Cracking open the Kanji book, Shinji hoped Misato wouldn't miss him for too long. Looking at his watch, Shinji noted that it wasn't too late in the evening. Well, if she asked Shinji decided he would just tell her the truth.  
  
Looking through the book, Shinji realized the daunting task ahead of him. The teachers in school always made the lessons look so simple; but the teenager discovered he had no idea where to start.  
  
'Well I guess I'll try the basics…' Shinji decided as he began to leaf through the pages. The book was organized with the Japanese language in one column, the corresponding English word in the next column, followed by an English pronunciation in the last column.  
  
Finding what he was looking for, Shinji offered his hand out like Jordan had earlier. When Jordan accepted the handshake, Shinji said, "Kon- nichiwa."  
  
"Ko-nishi-wah…" Jordan repeated slowly, drawling out the syllables.  
  
"Kon-nichiwa," Shinji repeated again, stressing the pronunciation.  
  
"Kon-nichiwa," Jordan repeated once more, earning a satisfied grin from Shinji.  
  
'Maybe this could be fun,' Shinji thought to himself as he began to look through the Kanji again.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Well there it is. Please let me know how I'm doing, especially with characterizations. That's my largest concern at the moment. Is Shinji too bold? Is Asuka too much? Not enough? Is Misato not Misato enough? Am I babbling incoherently? O_o Don't answer that last question.  
  
By the way, to those who think Gendo might have been a little lenient on Fuyutsuki, its my feeling that although Gendo is a rather cold bastard, he still regards Fuyutsuki as a colleague and friend. He may be disappointed in him, but I don't see him flat-out firing his former sensei over something like this.  
  
But again, please, FEEDBACK! I'm trying to keep Jordan normal, so that's why I had Asuka being rather cold towards him. I got a pretty firm warning about ACC/OC relationships, and I'm taking it seriously. I'm afraid if I have her show the least bit of niceness towards him, some of the hardcore fans here will give me a whole new understanding of the term, fire-bombing. ^_~ So please just let me know if there's anything I should change in the next few chapters. Also let me know how that language protocol worked out, please? Thanks again to all! 


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